On Thursday, Pensacola fisherman Andrew Smith used his drone to rescue a teenage girl caught in a rip current near Fort Pickens Beach, Florida. He was getting ready to go shark fishing when he spotted the girl struggling, quickly attached a flotation device to his drone and flew it out to her. Although he missed on his first drop, a nearby woman handed him a second float, which he successfully delivered to the girl using the drone’s camera and payload dropping system.
The floatation device helped keep the girl afloat until Escambia County Fire Rescue arrived to help her back to shore. Smith, who has a seizure disorder that makes it unsafe for him to get in the water, got emotional after the successful rescue. He says the drone was designed for fishing but worked great in the emergency situation.
The incident occurred during a time when dangerous water currents were present and no lifeguards were stationed at the beach. Smith later spoke with the girl’s father, who thanked him for saving his daughter’s life. Emergency responders were interested in how Smith's drone worked, and are considering the technology’s potential for future water rescues.
Source: WCTV
Photo: d3_plus D.Naruse @ Japan / Moment Unreleased / Getty Images